Not All News Is Bad (Lew Rockwell)

Lew Rockwell likes the fact that Republicans are starting to sound more like libertarians (which seems to only happen when a Democrat is elected president; go figure!) and thinks there's a good chance we'll see some glorious gridlock in Washington:

The headlines say that a deal to bail out automakers stands little chance of success. One might hope that common sense alone would have killed it (it's never a good idea to throw good money at failing enterprises), but the Democrats are citing intense Republican opposition.

So too for the "stimulus package" that contains a long list of bad ideas, almost like a recipe for prolonging the downturn: bailouts, welfare, unemployment subsidies, union privileges, and other devastating devices. Now the package is being considered largely dead.

Already the Republicans are toughening up, seeing the light of day. After nearly a decade of signing off on horrible legislation and looking the other way as a Republican president chewed through our liberties, they are new converts to the cause of limiting the government because a Democrat will be president.

At the same time, we are witnessing the disgusting spectacle of Bush lecturing us on the merits of the free market. After eight years of wars, the police state, bailouts, and regulations, he is newly concerned about his legacy, and so he is following the path of Hoover, who was horrible in office and better out of office. Thus is Bush, of all people, sounding like a champion of the free society.

Already, you can see that the political constellation is lining up in a way that is more friendly to the cause of liberty. The Democrats are up to their old tricks, which are transparently dumb and dated. The Republicans are responding with smart and sound criticisms. The government looks poised for a fantastic gridlock that will let the liquidation take place so that we can move toward a good recovery.

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